Four airlines to soon allow city check-in for Taoyuan departures

Passengers traveling on four Taiwanese airlines will soon be able to check in at Taipei Main Station in downtown Taipei. That's pending the opening of a new MRT (mass rapid transit) line to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The company behind the line Taoyuan Metro Corporation said Sunday that the service could begin before the end of the month.

The four airlines are China Airlines and its subsidiary Mandarin Airlines, as well as EVA Airways and its subsidiary UNI Airways. So far, the remaining airlines operating out of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport have yet to follow suit.

The service will allow outbound travelers to check their luggage and get boarding passes before taking the 35-minute train trip to the airport.

Transportation Minister Ho Chen Tan has said his ministry is "optimistically looking forward" to issuing the permit for the airport MRT line to begin trial runs before the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins on Jan. 27.

The 51.03-kilometer line will serve more than 20 stations, including 14 stops between Taipei Main Station and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.